Long Island Board of REALTORS® (LIBOR) contributed $5,000 to support community hunger relief programs in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties this holiday season. The contributions will be equally divided between Island Harvest and City Harvest, as part of LIBOR’s 15th Annual REALTORS® Against Hunger (RAH) campaign.
The holiday season can be especially difficult for those who are food-insecure and the current economy has many Long Islanders seeking assistance for the first time. The RAH contributions will assist efforts by both organizations to provide a joyous holiday experience to people who struggle with hunger each day.
Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest hunger-relief organization with a mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island, projects that it will distribute more than 15 million pounds of food to hungry Long Islanders through 400 food pantries by the end of 2022. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Island Harvest distributed 9.5 million pounds of food across the Island. That rose to 15 million pounds in 2020 and 18 million pounds in 2021.
LIBOR REALTOR® volunteers recently joined Island Harvest at its warehouse in Melville, NY for hours assembling vital food boxes used for daily programs and distribution. The group packed over 400 boxes for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides a monthly box of non-perishables to qualifying seniors. This program serves 4,000 seniors monthly.
Another crucial and timely program of the organization is its Turkey and Trimmings Collection Campaign, which runs from November 1 to December 30 and encourages Long Islanders to donate all the items necessary to complete a traditional holiday-style meal for residents struggling to feed their families. LIBOR’s contribution will support 5,000 meals over the upcoming holiday weeks.
City Harvest, New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization, is dedicated to feeding millions of hungry New Yorkers. As inflation and food prices have surged to a 40-year high, NYC food pantries and soup kitchens are still seeing nearly 70% more visits than pre-pandemic levels. In response to the high level of need, City Harvest will rescue and deliver at least 75 million pounds of food this year, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community partners across the five boroughs.
LIBOR’s RAH contribution will sponsor the organization’s Repack to Give Back program which rescues, repacks, and delivers enough food to help feed thousands of families across the city this holiday season. Through the sponsorship, LIBOR’s logo is visible on the food rescue trucks packed with holiday-themed fresh produce and food items to deliver to New York City families in need.
“Long Island Board of REALTORS® is proud to partner with Island Harvest and City Harvest through the REALTORS® Against Hunger campaign, to raise awareness of those who are suffering from food insecurity on Long Island,” said 2022 LIBOR President Kevin Loiacono. “As prices have surged for necessities, it is more important than ever to help our neighbors in need. Our continued participation in this program will assist these organizations in providing some needed relief to those who need it most in our communities and will help families put special holiday meals on their tables.”
The REALTORS® Against Hunger campaign was mobilized in 2008 to fight hunger in our local communities. Through the campaign, REALTORS® across Long Island have raised funds, non-perishable food items, and awareness for our neighbors living with hunger and poverty.
Contributions to Island Harvest and City Harvest can be made at:
About Long Island Board of REALTORS®
Long Island Board of REALTORS®, Inc. (LIBOR) is a 30,000-member, not-for-profit trade association that serves real estate professionals throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens counties. Founded over 100 years ago, LIBOR is the fourth-largest local REALTOR® board in the United States.